New research in Animal welfare has shown that mole traps may not be humane:

"Moles are widely trapped as pests on farms and amenity land in Britain. Spring traps for killing mammals generally require welfare approval in the UK, but mole traps are exempt. Previous research demonstrated wide variation in the mechanical performance of mole traps. In this context, we aimed to produce new data on the welfare impact of kill-trapping moles in the field."

It is ridiculous that mole traps are not included in the 1954 UK Pests Act, especially when there is evidence that spring traps do not always kill moles instantaneously. Hopefully research like this will help to ensure mole traps go through the proper approval process.